S’mores are a childhood favorite of mine, but they have always been reserved for summer nights by the fire. Mother’s Day isn’t typically a holiday the family gathers around the fire, so I opted to bring the marshmallow toasting indoors. I felt that by creating individual S’more tartlets it would not only elevate the traditional S’more but would give the treats the optimal marshmallow to chocolate ratio.

Combine graham cracker crumbs, milk powder, sugar, and salt in a medium bowl.
Whisk butter and heavy cream together. Add to dry ingredients and stir together until evenly distributed. The mixture should hold its shape if squeezed tightly (if it doesn’t add a bit more melted butter). Press mixture immediately into tart pans. Cover pans and place in freezer for 20-30 minutes.

Place chopped chocolate in heatproof bowl. In small saucepan heat heavy cream and corn syrup to near boil. Pour heavy cream mixture over chocolate. Allow to sit for a minute. This will begin to melt the chocolate. Stir in butter until all chocolate & butter is melted and evenly combined. Use a medium scoop to transfer chocolate mixture into the middle of the chilled graham crusts. Immediately begin to place marshmallows into the mixture. This will help to evenly spread the chocolate into the tarts. Work fast because chocolate chills quickly.

If serving immediately prepare your work space to start toasting marshmallows. If you don’t have a kitchen torch you can place the tarts in the oven with the oven set on broil for a few minutes (watch them like a hawk as marshmallows toast in minutes and you’ll likely have to move your tarts around to get an even toast). Otherwise store your tarts in the fridge and toast just before serving for best results.

The S’Mores tarts were a big hit, and I had a fabulous 2nd mother’s day with my little man.

Every major holiday my mother would make the softest, melt in your mouth sugar cookies topped with buttercream icing in pastel colors (even at Christmas our Santas lean a bit pink). It was always a labor intensive process that was always finished in the late evening. If done right, all the hard work is worth it! Like my mother, I typically stick to buttercream for sugar cookies largely because you almost always have the ingredients on hand, it isn’t fussy, and it tastes delicious!

This year I thought it would be appropriate to break out the unused bunny cookie cutters residing in my cabinet, make my mother’s sugar cookie recipe and top them with royal icing. I thought that the royal icing would give the cookies more of a professional bakery look. When I was finished icing I placed the cookies in white treat boxes. When I took them over to my in-laws house on Easter everyone thought I had just picked them up at the bakery. On the one hand that made me happy, but on the other sort of stole my thunder.

Bake 7 to 8 minutes or until edges are light brown. Remove from cookie sheet. Cool on wire rack.

Note: Baking the cookies a day ahead of time will help break up the process! Simply store the cookies in an air tight container until you are ready to begin icing.

Ingredients:{Royal Icing}

3 Tbs meringue powder

4 cups sifted confectioners’ sugar

8-10 Tbs warm water

Instructions:{Royal Icing}

In the bowl of a stand mixer combine the confectioner’s sugar and meringue powder. Add the water and beat on medium to high until very glossy and stiff peaks form (about 7 minutes). You want to make sure you have frosting that is of the proper consistency, so if it is a bit too thin you can always a bit more confectioners’ sugar, or if it is too thick, add another tablespoon of water.

It is helpful to do a bit of strategic planning here based on your shapes & desired colors By developing a decorating plan of action you can use your time efficiently. Prepare squeeze bottles or pastry bags with icing in the colors and consistency you will need to create your desired end result.

I cut all of my cookies using a bunny cutter, and planned to make white bunnies with pink inner ears and a brown eyes/nose/mouth. I filled one Wilton Decorating Squeeze Bottle with a thicker white frosting for outlining. I then added a bit more water to the icing mixture, took a small amount out placed in a small bowl and mixed some brown gel in for my detail frosting. Back to my larger batch of frosting I added another tablespoon of water to get the frosting to a thinner flooding consistency. I split the batch 70-30 and mixed in a hint of red gel into the smaller portion. I then filled two more Wilton Decorating Squeeze Bottles with my white flooding icing and my pink flooding icing.

Using my outline squeeze bottle I outlined all my shapes with white. I followed by flooding the entire cookie with white save for the inner ear portion. I then flooded the inner ears with pink. By the time I was done with my last cookie the flooded icing was nice and hard, so the cookies were prime for layering. I added two white dots as cheeks to my bunnies with my white flooding icing. I followed with eyes, nose, and mouth with my dark frosting. Once the icing is dry the cookies have a hard, smooth finish. I placed the cookies in treat boxes separated by parchment paper.

In addition to baking bunny cookies, we dyed some Easter eggs using masking tape, stickers, and a white crayon. My little man doesn’t eat (or need) much sugar, so I made sure the Easter Bunny filled his basket with toddler friendly treats. The mission was to create a fun toddler friendly Easter basket.

Pastry bags were filled with cheddar bunnies and tied off with green ribbon to look like carrots.

Instead of candy, the plastic eggs were filled with mini treat bags filled with bunny grahams and taped off with printed masking tape.

The basket had a coloring book, sidewalk chalk, bubbles, a kite, bunny ears, a bath toy, bath color tabs, animal crackers, a stuffed dinosaur, and a golden egg with a few dollars for his piggy bank.

Little man was very happy with his loot, and LOVED his treats, I think just as much as any kid loves candy. We had a very happy Easter, he was a fan of the bunny cookies, and we ran through our bubble arsenal almost immediately!

Pour a small amount of Pearl Nail Polish onto magazine or paper plate
Dip dotting tool (or alternatively a toothpick) into pearl polish and strategically place dots on each nail.
Allow to dry completely.
Apply Top Coat.

My cake loathing, peanut butter loving husband had a birthday this week, so I made him peanut butter cups using this recipe for the filling. These are so rich, so smooth, and so so addictive. Dare I say, they may be even better than the store bought variety! Move over Reese’s a new peanut butter cup has just arrived in my kitchen!

Melt chocolate and shortening using a double boiler. Spoon a small amount of chocolate into the bottom of each cupcake liner. Place in fridge for 30 minutes.

Roll peanut butter mixture into small balls and flatten slightly into discs. Place each disc on the baking sheet and place in the fridge for 30 minutes. (Note: It may be helpful to place in paper liner to make sure you have the appropriate size…too wide and it will be difficult to get the chocolate down around the sides, and too high your cups will not have a smooth flat top like store bought peanut butter cups have.)

When the bottom layer of chocolate has cooled completely place a peanut butter disc on top. Now pour melted chocolate over each disc. Shake the pan gently back and fourth to help the chocolate coat the peanut butter disc evenly and move down the sides. Once covered, place in fridge for another 30 minutes to cool completely before serving. Store in an airtight container in the fridge or freezer.

Puff pastry sheets are genius. There are so many wonderful ways to use them, but my favorite way is for a sweet & quick morning treat with my coffee. I usually make them using chocolate and mix it up using cinnamon & sea salt. Last weekend I opted to add thinly sliced brie, fresh raspberries, and chocolate. The flavor combinations were wonderful, the cheese, tartness of the raspberries and sweetness of the chocolate complimenting each other perfectly.

Ingredients:

1 sheet of puff pastry defrosted (one box includes 2)

1 egg

1 Tablespoon water

2 oz dark chocolate, finely chopped (chocolate chips work great as well, I recommend using whatever you have on hand)

5 oz soft brie, rind removed

6 oz fresh raspberries

melted chocolate for drizzling (chocolate sauce can also be used)

Instructions:

Pre-heat oven to 375 F.

Unfold defrosted pastry sheets onto lightly floured work surface. Gently roll out pastry until it is approximately 12 x 16 inches. Cut into rectangles (8×3 is a good size).

In a small bowl whisk egg and a Tablespoon of water together. With a pastry brush apply egg wash to one half of each rectangle.

Place a piece of thinly sliced brie, raspberries, and chocolate in the center of one half of the rectangle.

Fold each rectangle in half and press edges together.

With a pastry brush apply the egg wash on top of pastries awaiting baking.

Bake for 20-25 minutes, rotating halfway through, until the pastries are puffed and golden brown.

Drizzle melted chocolate on each pastry. Allow to cool for 8 to 10 minutes before serving.